DEAR MARY: I can't get the coffee stains out of my Mr. Coffee Brew Basket or the lid of the pot. It's white and plastic. I tried soaking it in bleach and cleanser, but neither worked. — Margaret
DEAR MARGARET: If those stains are old and have already penetrated the plastic, they may be permanent now. That's one reason it's best to buy a black coffee maker. But before you surrender, try this:
Moisten a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with water and gently scrub the stains. These sponges are fantastic at removing all kinds of stains and are safe to use on nearly every surface. I can't guarantee this will restore the plastic to look like new, but it's your best option at this point. Good luck!
DEAR MARY: I accidentally splattered hair dye on my new white cabinet. I have tried Awesome, baking soda paste, bleach, blue Dawn and rubbing alcohol. Those attempts faded the stain a bit, but it's still there. Do you have any solution short of having the repaint this cabinet? — Jeannette
DEAR JEANNETTE: You need a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, too! Again, I'm very hopeful it will work but can't guarantee it.
The secret behind these erasers is a material commonly called melamine foam. With just a little water, melamine foam can dig in and destroy stains that other products can't touch. Mr. Clean's line of melamine foam is Magic Erasers. Scotch-Brite has a similar product called the Easy Erasing Pad.
If you are diligent, you could find a place to buy a big sheet of melamine foam and then cut it into the size and shape you want. One sheet would produce enough erasers to last you — and your friends — a lifetime.
DEAR MARY: I had a similar issue with smelly upholstery (see "Some Smelly Situations Require Extra Toil and Patience"). I realized that I was just spraying the cover over and over, which was soaking up a lot of NokOut. I removed the covers and sprayed the cushions again, this time getting down to the padding of the cushion. That did the trick. Thanks for all of your great ideas. — Nancy
DEAR NANCY: Another success story! Thanks for letting us know. I wish I knew the dollar value of all the times Nok-Out has saved my — and my readers' — carpets, furniture and other expensive things. I am so happy to know that your upholstered furniture would be on that list.
DEAR MARY: I'm looking for the name of the gadget you love that cuts up vegetables, onions and other things. Can you help me? Thanks. — Andrea
DEAR ANDREA: You're looking for my beloved Vidalia Chop Wizard. I love that thing. I use it for vegetables and onions, but also for watermelon, kiwi, apples and other fruits to make fruit salsa (see recipe below). My Chop Wizard gets quite a workout. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. I use it almost every day.
FRUIT SALSA
5 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 quart strawberries, finely chopped
1 pint fresh blackberries, chopped
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fruit jelly (any flavor)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (add to your liking — or not at all)
1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce (optional)
1 7-ounce can green salsa (start with about half and then adjust accordingly)
1/3 cup lime juice
Place all ingredients in a bowl. Stir. Eat.
Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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